History has given Henry Ford a lot of
justly-earned credit for building and selling automobiles so affordably that
they could be enjoyed by the masses - not just those with deep pockets. Long
before Mr. Ford’s entry into the transportation business, though, there were
countless other horse-drawn vehicle makers with a similar business plan; one
focused on creating a quality set of wheels that individuals could afford in
business and pleasure. While Ford
encountered numerous challenges in his commitment to building a better
mousetrap, America’s earliest transportation pioneers were also continually
faced with the trials of maintaining a successful business. Manufacturing requirements, raw material
availability, a viable labor supply, marketing, sales, warranties, resale
values, loyalty, competition, distribution channels and a myriad of other issues
were dealt with daily.
Far from being small-time business
neophytes, many early makers of vehicles used throughout the U.S.
were educated and business-savvy. Even
in the 1800’s, some of the biggest wagon builders were finishing tens of
thousands of wagons per year. In fact, during
Studebaker’s peak production years, the firm boasted that it finished a vehicle
every six minutes. The legendary brand
also claimed to have built – and sold – a million wagons in the decade between 1897
and 1907†. By any measure, those are
impressive numbers. Equally noteworthy is
the mechanization and repeatable factory processes that were employed to
accomplish such feats of mass production.
While some small blacksmith shops may
have still been hammering out hand-forged iron work in the late 1800’s, most western
vehicle builders of any size had recognized the value of time as it related to
profits. Hence, as the turn of the 20th
century approached, these larger manufacturers may have been engaged in forging
some parts but they were often using cast and pre-formed pieces available from
wholesale outlets.
As pointed out in Thomas Kinney’s book,
“The Carriage Trade: Making Horse Drawn Vehicles in America,” these early
vehicle makers clearly recognized that ‘time is money.’ As a result, there were entire subgroups of
companies that sprang up to provide equipment, parts, and supplies to assist
with more rapid production of quality western vehicles. This was not just working faster, it was
working smarter and, in most cases, delivering a higher quality product in a
more timely manner. At its core, this
involved very similar business thoughts as those covered in some of the most
elite corporate boardrooms of today.
A growing agricultural economy along
with the Civil War, with its massive need for vehicles, did its part in driving
innovation and productivity. Numerous
technological advances and specially fabricated machines were introduced during
this timeframe. Patents for automatic
axle lathes were issued as early as the 1860’s with designs committed to
greater accuracy, speed, efficiency, and productivity.
Eventually, other instruments engineered
for even higher production capacities were also introduced. Heavy equipment like automatic spoke lathes,
spoke throating machines, belt polishers, and felloe sawing machines were
joined by automatic hub mortisers, automatic wagon box floor nailers, and wagon
box boring machines for gang drilling all of the holes at one time in the box
sides of a wagon. Each innovation made
the production process more efficient, vehicles more affordable, profits more
attainable, and customers more satisfied with the final product. Collectively, it was a commitment to
excellence that’s still reflected in rolling works of art all over the country.
†
Wheels That Won The West® Archives, www.wheelsthatwonthewest.com
